


hold my heart (it's yours to keep)

by lilllac



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, College AU, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, azula is a little grenlim, i mean it’s a one shot how slow can it be?, kiyi e also there, like REALLY light it’s barely there at all, lot’s of texting, not actually a text fic they’re just teenagers, they’re both stupid and i love them, zuko and azula have a good relationship because i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:56:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27008461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilllac/pseuds/lilllac
Summary: Zuko has terrible eye sight without his glasses - which means he will never be able to recognize the face of the girl who helped him at the subway station, with her melodic voice and her flowery red jacket.Or: the story of how Mai started to think she had fallen in love with the rudest boy in town. Only to be proven wrong, time and time again.
Relationships: (yes they are best buddies), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai & Sokka (Avatar), Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	hold my heart (it's yours to keep)

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re brazillian or you’re someone who speaks portuguese at all: por favor leia isso na versão original eu prometo é melhor em português. tem aqui, no spirit e no nyah  
> English isn’t my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes to be surely found. Regardless, I hope it’s still enjoyable.  
> I’ll keep the initial notes brief, but please read the final ones!

The remnants of the rain made his jeans feel sticky and uncomfortable and he was already having cramps from how much strength he was using to hold the umbrella's handle. It was ironically cruel that, after escaping to the subway station to try to get _out_ of the pouring rain, it was so stuffy and humid that Zuko needed to wipe the sweat from his neck with the collar of his shirt.

And, for all that is good in the world,  _ where was he? _

He had the impression that the place looked a little familiar, but, to be fair, all the subway stations still looked the same to him. He had barely learned where to turn and where to go to and from college. And, of course, given the bad luck that he was born with, it only made sense that he got lost just three weeks in Tokyo. 

_Heavens_. Aang did say that karma was a serious thing.

Karma for _what_ , exactly, Zuko wasn't sure about. Maybe because he ate Kiyi's last chocolate yogurt and said it was Azula? Who knows.

And speaking of the sister, she was probably his best chance for salvation. He stumbled a bit upon himself to get the backpack off his shoulder and grab his cell phone inside, keeping the umbrella hanging from the elbow of his other arm and only then noticing how stupid he had been because now his shirt was also wet.

You:

**Help.**

Firecracker.

_What? It better be important._

**I'm lost.**

_.... Pardon?_

**I got lost! I'm lost!**

_Yes, that part I understood. I just don't get how._

_Weren't you just coming back from college?_

**I was. But I stopped to buy a ticket at the Central Square.**

**Then, it started to rain as if the world was ending,**

**and I went down the first ladder I saw.**

**I think I'm at the wrong station.**

_Spirits. And here I thought there was no way you could be any MORE stupid_.

**Azula!**

_Central Square, you say? Calm down._

_I'll ask Ty Lee._

Azula went offline and Zuko sighed to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. While his sister managed the bad joke that was his life, he went to a small kiosk nearby and asked for some mixed fruit beverage to try to cheer himself up with a bit of sugar. The girl on the other side looked at him for a long moment, and Zuko swallowed, silently wondering if he had anything on his face (well, besides the scar, of course).

Firecracker.

_OK. Ty Lee said you just need to look for the sign saying Sangenjaya._

_It should take you straight to the station where you take the subway back from college every day._

_This you should manage, right?_

**What is it?**

_Is this a joke?_

**....**

**No?**

_IT'S WHERE WE LIVE, ZUZU._

**Oh. Right.**

**Thank you.**

**< 3**

He decided to block his cell phone before his sister could get more irritated (which didn't take much effort, after all), and, still drinking his extremely sweet fruit shake, he started looking for that plate.

The problem was that, earlier in college, he had accidentally put his suitcase over his glasses on the table, and the frame had broken.

Which meant that now Zuko was walking around without his glasses. And he couldn't read anything at all.

A nineteen-year-old young man with myopia grade 6 in each eye walking alone in a city he had just arrived in. What could go wrong?

**»**

Many, many things could go wrong.

He had accidentally gotten his umbrella stuck to one of the turnstiles and now the damn thing was all broken, but Zuko was nothing if not too proud to admit defeat, and therefore kept wandering the white-tiled corridors as if he knew where he was going (he did not) and hoping that eventually, the universe would feel sorry enough for him to make him walk directly into the station he was looking for. Or again, that Ursa should notice his absence and order Azula to look for him.

Look, at this point, he was starting to hope that Ty Lee would take some pity on him and convince her girlfriend to go get her brother. He wasn't counting on that, though.

He was in some sort of underground mini-mall lit by pink lights and where everything smelled of perfume and air flavoring. The huge translucent and inviting doors of the supermarket ahead called to him, and Zuko could feel his stomach growling. He was seriously starting to consider spending his last savings of the week on a snack, just to feel a little bit of happiness in that absolutely disastrous evening.

He didn't notice it himself, but he must have stood there, leaning against the wall and almost crying in frustration and anger, for quite a while. That or the flower shop's attendant was just very impatient.

One way or another, she approached him with her arms crossed and a beautiful voice, like bells, and also incredibly annoyed:

"You need help?".

Startled, Zuko turned towards her. She was quite tall, basically his height, at least as he was hunchbacked against the wall, and she had long black hair that was tied back to remove the strands from her face. She wore a white apron over a red jacket. If he could get a good look, there seemed to be golden dots on the fabric, but he couldn't make them out.

Just as he couldn't make out her face. It was just a blur.

"Is it so obvious?". 

"I wouldn't say 'obvious', but having a tall, mean-looking and desolated guy planted outside the store is not very good for the business".

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll-".

"I asked if you need help".

A little voice in his head told him that Ursa had taught him not to speak to strangers.

The other voice reminded him that he was a guy in his almost early twenties lost on the way home and almost sick with a headache.

"Do you know where the subway station is?".

Zuko was unable to see, but she opened a small, almost imperceptible, little smile. She signaled him to stay there, which he did, not having any other options, taking the time to straighten his posture and throw the broken umbrella away, while she went back to the flower shop to say something to the other employee and took off the apron.

"Where exactly are you going?".

He explained what his friend had said, and she nodded, starting to walk to the same place he had come from. Zuko followed her with smaller steps, to keep pace with her.

"Thanks, by the way".

"You're welcome".

It seemed to him that this was a signal not to disturb her anymore, and Zuko did as he was told. The girl was already doing him a favor, all Zuko didn't want was to make her feel like he was some kind of inconvenience. She guided him through some corridors and stairs and finally found the row of turnstiles that led to the station he was looking for.

Checking the map on the wall, the girl informed him that Zuko's subway should arrive in about twenty minutes, and he nodded.

And then, they were silent.

He looked away, afraid to be staring. It was kind of involuntary, especially when he didn't have glasses on. A part of his head told him that if he looked long enough he would be able to understand the letters on the map, although his experience assured him otherwise. She got distracted by something on her cell phone.

After a moment, and to his complete surprise, she asked:

"Are you new here?".

"Yes!" Zuko replied energetically, trying to prove that he was not just a lost dork. "I arrived about three weeks ago".

"That is very recent. And the subway line can be quite confusing. Is there no one to help you?".

"Well ...." Zuko scratched the back of his head, embarrassed." Usually, I come and go with my little sister. But her course had no classes today, so she went with her girlfriend to Inokashira".

"Seriously? Funny, my friend went there to—" she stopped suddenly, sounding confused. "Are you alright?".

"I am," and to contradict himself, as he seemed to be doing a lot that day, he winced in discomfort. "Just a little ... a headache. I broke my glasses this morning and I can't see anything without them".

"Ah, that makes a lot of sense".

"Thank you. Er, again. For helping me".

She gestured with one hand.

"It was nothing, really. Your train should arrive shortly. Are you sure you will be okay?".

"From here, yes. I've even slept inside and woke up just about the right station before".

The girl didn't seem to find it funny.

"... I'm just kidding. I can't sleep in moving cars".

A stressed-out man in a pinstripe suit rushed behind Zuko and pushed him forward, which caused him to lose his balance for a moment, and the girl got out of the way more than quickly, muttering to the man:

"Look where you're going".

"It wasn't a big deal," he said, "but, man. What a bad day".

"I imagine ... hey! Is that Love among the Dragons' pin?"

"You know it?".

She cleared her throat, looking embarrassed that she came across as too excited. Zuko found the reaction cute.

"Yeah... One of my favorite plays. I went to watch the latest version at the Tokyo Theater Orb. I think I understand the need to change the protagonist's personality to a more current context, but I admit that she lost some of the magic that I reckon from when I was a child. I mean, iconic characters like her have a kind of literary weight even over the years, right?".

"I ..." Zuko raised his eyebrows ", I wouldn't know. I only watched the Ember Island's version".

"Ah" again, she seemed embarrassed. "I see". 

"But I think I agree, somewhat. I mean, you can't expect characters to be immutable, can you? My mom used to act when she was a teenager, and she always says that the coolest part of a play is knowing how the actors interpret the characters in their own way.

She was silent for a moment. And then, with a melodic tone in her beautiful voice, agreed:

"She must have been a great actress".

"The best of all! In fact-". 

The voice coming from the speaker interrupted him with the warning that the subway was coming and Zuko almost bit his tongue. With a bleak look at the girl, he apologized, and soon, people were pushing them towards the yellow line.

"You should go"

"Yeah. I left Sokka alone at the store".

"Good-".

"Was good-".

"Yeah, it-".

"Hey, stop pushing!".

-"I-"

"Outta the way, boy".

"What, ow, my foot, what is your name?".

"ZUKO! What's, hey, my briefcase, what's yours?".

She said something, but he was already being pushed into the subway, and the doors closed. She stood behind the line and raised a hand to wave, a blur of the red and gold jacket and long ebony hair.

Zuko waved back.

And the subway moved forward, leaving her behind.

**»**

"Wow, it looks like you got hit by a herd of wild elephants" was the first thing Azula said to him when Zuko opened the door.

She was sitting on the sofa in the living room in a sweatshirt that he was almost sure to be his and loose pants, twirling a lollipop in her mouth while reading something on her cell phone, her hair slackly tied at the top of her head. Behind, at the table, Kiyi was coloring something with crayons.

"Where's Mom?".

"Went shopping. We're going to have miso soup tonight".

Zuko's hungry stomach thanked the heavens. He took off his soggy shoes and socks, and as he passed through the room, he approached his sister just enough to shake his head like a wet dog, spraying rainwater everywhere. Azula gave an indignant squeak, falling to the floor and almost hitting her head on the table and shot him a look, but Zuko was too busy laughing. She tried to kick him in the shins, but he dodged, heading straight for the kitchen.

"What about me?".

Kiyi, who had seemed completely absorbed until then, suddenly raised her huge brown eyes and saw her brother, spinning too fast in the chair to throw herself at him. Zuko managed to hold her in time, while the younger one squeezed him.

"How was the class today?".

"Great! Sensei is teaching me to break wooden boards with my hands!".

Zuko looked over his shoulder at Azula, who replied with an arch of a single eyebrow. He sighed. Oh, spirits. Kiyi was going to be just like her, wasn't she?

After getting rid of his sister, Zuko brought his hand closer to the kettle, realizing that it was, in fact, cold, and then asked:

"I'm going to take a shower, I'm too tired. Can you warm up some tea for me?".

Azula grimaced but said nothing, and when Zuko finally came out of the bathroom, feeling partially refreshed, wearing shorts and a tank top with hair drying on a T-shirt, he found a steaming cup of green tea waiting for him, while Kiyi and Azula sipped their own, sweetened black tea.

"Now tell me, how did you get lost like that?".

A little embarrassed, Zuko told his part of the story. Kiyi looked completely horrified by the idea of getting lost on the subway, but the other girl heard it all with the air of someone who was about to start laughing. Azula finally asked to see the condition of his glasses, which Zuko reluctantly allowed.

"Yeah, you definitely can't fix it at home".

"I thought you were good with these things!".

"I don't work miracles, Zuzu".

Defeated, Zuko leaned his head on the table, pouting, and let his still slightly damp hair cover his poor myopic eyes.

"Don't be sad, Zuzu" Kiyi patted his head with her little hands.

"Okay. Tomorrow on the way back from Kiyi's training I will go to the shop to fix them. But you're paying!".

"For the first time in your life, thank you, Azula. Argh! Wow, that left a strange taste on my tongue".

"Well, you can go fu-".

"No bad words!" Kiyi protested, covering her brother's ears.

"Yeah, Azula" Zuko showed her his tongue. "No bad words".

Even without seeing well, he could see his sister rolling her eyes.

After dinner, Zuko rearranged the materials he would need for the next day and put on his pajamas to sleep. Before however, he let his index finger run around the outline of the theatrical brooch, and he couldn't help but smile when he remembered the soft but firm voice of the girl who had helped him.

In a world like that, where everything seemed to be constantly changing rhythm and direction, meeting someone was a rare occasion. It rarely yielded more than a polite conversation or a comment on the weather.

Zuko hoped that this would be different. That, somehow, he would one day find the girl in the flowered jacket again.

**»**

Mai loved Ty Lee, she did.

Perhaps this meant that, on the occasion that she, perhaps, hit the dancer with a fan in the middle of the face, their friendship would not be destroyed. And with each passing day, Mai's patience seemed closer to the limit.

... which was a lie, of course. She loved Ty Lee so much that she sometimes thought she was the victim of some kind of brainwashing.

So much so that she had accepted her friend's absurd request, even if it meant setting foot in college, at eight in the morning, on her day off.

To make matters worse, she had forgotten her college ID, so she was stuck outside, waiting for Ty Lee to finally read her messages and come and get her. The guard on the other side of the gate didn't seem to recognize her, and Mai didn't blame him for that. In fact, she was a little proud that she went completely unnoticed. She worked hard for that.

Distracted in her thoughts, she was only brought back to reality when a high-pitched voice caught her ears, and she lowered the bouquet to see who it was. And, due to fate, or something equally stupid, there was the boy from the mall ...

... with the handle of the mailbag attached to the university turnstile.

"Aw, come on! Why is it always something?".

"I'm starting to wonder the same thing".

"What?".

He turned his face so fast that Mai thought he was going to break his neck. He seemed different, but maybe it was just the fact that he wasn't tired, frustrated, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He was wearing a black sweater and dress pants, and he looked as handsome as she remembered.

Mai had never really liked the handsome type of guy, to be honest. Most of the time, they were signs of trouble. But this one looked so lost and clumsy that she couldn't see anything that indicated danger.

"Zuko" she greeted, and, before the rest of his face turned all red: "Why does it seem that you are always getting into some nonsense?".

He laughed, embarrassed, and she gestured for him to take the bouquet out of h hands, which he did. She moved a little closer to free the handle from his backpack, and Zuko thanked her, relieved.

"Wow, this is a pretty big bouquet. Let me guess: delivery?".

"More or less. It is for an acquaintance .... Of another acquaintance".

It's stupid, she added, just for herself, from one idiot to another.

She had been trying to explain to Ty Lee that blue roses represented _mystery_ , and a _chieving the unreachable_ , which, sure, might _hypothetically_ sound a little bit romantic, but that in practice didn't make much sense, since she had _already_ achieved the unreachable and was, in fact, dating the unreachable, and that, who knows, she should choose something like a lily, but Ty Lee had just laughed and told her that Azula wouldn't believe for a second that _she_ had done all that research and that, in any case, her girlfriend would be much happier receiving a flower that reminded her of herself than a random word - and Mai had no way of arguing with Azula's narcissism. Nor did she even want to.

But Zuko didn't deserve to have to go through all that mental gymnastics, so she just said:

"I owed a friend a favor".

"But why are you out here?".

"I cannot enter without official ID".

"But you can't stay there all day! It is very irresponsible of this friend. Come here, I'll pass you mine".

"Zuko, have you been told you may be too naive?".

He smirked.

"Yes. Several times, actually. But I have a hard time believing that the girl who lectured me on Love Among Dragons and who is planted outside with a huge bouquet of blue roses is plotting some great evil plan".

Mai grunted, exasperated.

They entered the campus together. It was obvious that Zuko was late for his class, as well as it was obvious that he didn't want to go, at least not yet. Mai understood the feeling. Despite the situation, Zuko was a good company.

"You should go to your class".

His shoulders slumped.

"You don't want help?".

"They're flowers.

"It's that last time we barely even got to talking" he looked away, showing the way his golden eyes shone in the sunlight.

"On that, we can agree. Maybe I-".

Zuko's cell phone vibrated repeatedly in his pocket and, embarrassed, he unlocked it. His entire face went pale as he read the messages.

"Shit! The teacher decided to make a call roll. I cannot have any other absences!". 

That brought a little chuckle out of her.

"Excuse me. Oh, I know! Can I visit you at the flower shop?".

"Sure. Why not?".

"Does the evening work for you?" she nodded. He was already taking the first steps back. "During the week?" another nod. "OK! See you! Don't forget!".

And, holding the backpack close to his body so it wouldn't swing too much, Zuko ran towards his building.

That was it. End of the line. He had fought with all his might, but it was time to give up. A warrior must lose with honor. That was what Uncle Iroh had taught him. Zuko needs to have strength now!

The contact lenses had won.

He rested one hand on the college bathroom sink and with the other one, he lifted the box where they laid. His archenemies. His nemeses. The ten-year-old Azula that disconnected the console cable and left him fiddling with the joystick for two hours thinking he was controlling the character.

Okay, Zuko was taking it personally.

There was all he could do. He had been trying to attend classes without any visual aids, but his headache was hammering against his temples and he was dizzy, not to mention the fact that he had not been able to make a single note.

"Today you won" he murmured enigmatically ", tomorrow, the fight will be different".

(No, it wouldn't be).

He found Ty Lee leaving the library accompanied by a tall, unknown girl. With the world making sense again (and his eyes burning as if they were red pepper), Zuko was able to easily distinguish the absurdly beautiful features of his sister's girlfriend, but the new face was just as striking, albeit in a different way.

She had golden, small eyes, and wore heavy makeup. Purple lipstick, thickened and sharp eyeliner, and the fringe of dark hair fell smoothly over her impassive face. Her ears were decorated with small rings and an industrial one, piercing through the cartilage.

And when she fixed her eyes on his, she called:

"Zuko".

He swallowed, scared. Not that she was specifically fear-striking, but having a stranger with a fierce look like that calling him by his first name only gave rise to a single type of reaction:

"Do I know you?".

**»**

"I mean, maybe he chickened out" Sokka suggested, arranging the orchids in the window.

"I don't know." Mai crossed her arms, leaning on the counter. "He didn't seem like the kind that got scared that easily".

The boy whistled softly. Sokka was an interesting figure. When Mai met him in the first semester, he had been one of the most irritating and unbearable guys in college, but a year later, there he was, working in a flower shop and working on the embroidery on his sister's jacket in his spare time.

Above all, it was interesting how quickly they had become friends. Mai had never had one, properly said, not someone other than Ty Lee - and Azula, she supposed, although she came more in tow - however, Sokka's sarcastic and irreverent attitude perfectly matched her ironic morbidity.

"You sound incredibly interested in this kid on the subway," he commented absently. "Is there anything else you are not telling me?".

"What? No".

"Um ..." he didn't seem convinced. "Anyway, if he changed his attitude so quickly, it's just not worth it".

She tore off one of the petals of the nearest daisy.

"Perhaps".

Azula had told him that the glasses would only be ready by the end of the week and Zuko had almost cried like a newborn. He couldn't take any more of the headaches and the feeling of walking around blindly, especially with the exam period so close, but there wasn't much that could be done.

On Thursday, Azula had had to reschedule her therapy session to an earlier time, which had left Zuko with the responsibility of leaving Kiyi in karate after class, and now he was on a subway, his eyes burning through the lens and the body tired of another exhausting day.

And that was when a thought occurred to him.

He got off at the next station, bought a fruit mix on the underground walkway, and headed for the mini-mall, with one goal in mind. Upon arriving at the flower shop, however, he saw no sign of her or her flowered jacket.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you?".

The charming boy with the brown hair was smiling at him, and Zuko smiled back, but his eyes continued to search for her, getting more and more desolate. Now it occurred to him that he had never asked until exactly when she worked.

"I'm looking for a girl".

"... a girl?".

"She works here. About this height, long black hair".

"Yes, I'm aware. I just don't understand what you want with her".

"To talk?".

"Buddy, I don't know if you are reading this situation—".

"Zuko? A muffled voice came from behind the closed storage room door "Is that you?".

Immediately, he cheered up.

"Yeah, I said I'd come!".

"You're Zuko?" the other attendant raised his eyebrows at him.

"What does that mean-".

"Oh, but this isn't a good time," she said, from the back "I'm kinda busy and it's an employee-only room".

"No problem! I mean, it is a problem, since my train is about to come, but I...-".

"Your cell phone, Zuko. Pass me your cellphone".

"Right!".

He went behind the counter and handed his cell phone through the crack she had opened. While she was doing what she had to do inside, Zuko turned to the other boy.

"... Hello?".

"Nice to meet you, my name is Sokka. I'm her best friend".

"Zuko. We ... Well, we know each other. I guess".

Sokka watched him in silence. He had a handsome face and very intelligent eyes, the kind that was both intimidating and warm at the same time. Zuko felt a little like an animal being dissected.

"Yeah, you're as beautiful as she said".

Zuko's neck went red with the implication.

"Here".

He took the cell phone back, open in the phonebook, with a new contact. Florist, between two small skulls icons. He laughed softly.

"That's not your name".

"How so? Ty Lee told me that you should already know".

"Ty Lee?"Zuko repeated, frowning. "What does she have to do with this?".

"Hey, handsome. Didn't you have a train to catch?".

**I got home now.**

**How are you?**

_I mean, a florist is not the most dangerous job in the world._

**You can't underestimate people.**

_You are right about that._

**If you don't mind me, I'm sorry to ask, but what photo is this?**

_How come?_

**I mean, it very obviously isn't your face?**

_And who said so?_

**But ... it's a drawing?**

_I can be a fruit of your imagination._

**I feel that you are messing with me.**

**And maybe it's working.**

_You are interesting._

_It's a manga. One of my favorites._

**Can I ask wich is it?**

_Do you read manga?_

**I do not. But my sister loves it.**

**Maybe I'll give it a try.**

_Right. Well, this is a horror one._

**... Horror?**

_Is it a problem?_

**No! Of course not. Tell me more.**

_That's no fun. You have to read it._

**But what if it scares me?**

_Really?_

**Okay, okay. What is the name?**

_You actually don't know?_

**Seriously.**

_Tomie from Junji Ito. A classic one._

_It's actually a collection. You gotta like one of them._

**I'm not standing by it.**

_Fine._

_I need to take care of my brother now._

_Good night._

**Good night.**

_Huh, Zuko?_

**Yes?**

_It was nice talking to you_

**Likewise :)**

**»**

("I'm telling you, Azula, it's bizarre!".

"And I'm saying that you are the last person in the world to discover this".

"How was I supposed to know that you have such a thing just lying around?".

"Because I brought it myself for my birthday last year".

"Those things shouldn't be on Kiyi's reach!".

"But you're the one screaming about it in front of her!".

And, to emphasize her point, Azula lowered her hands to cover her little sister's ears, who was sitting between them on the sofa.

" Tomie, " Zuko murmured, incredulous. "What the hell is this?"). 

**»**

_There's no point giving up before you get to the blizzard chapter!_

**I will not!**

**But you have macabre tastes.**

_Horror isn't the ONLY stuff I read._

_Finish Tomie first, and then I'll recommend others._

**I would rather talk about Love Amongst Dragons.**

_You are impossible._

**»**

Mai made a mental note to stop by the cosmetics store at the mall before going to work that afternoon because she was running out of mascara, which was unacceptable. She checked her appearance in the huge mirror in the bedroom. Ty Lee was always saying that she could buy a house and two cars with the amount of money she spent on clothes, but Mai thought her priorities were perfectly balanced. She slightly fluffed her button-down shirt, the underside of which was tucked inside her jeans with only the last of the buttons closed, so that her blood-red tank top could be seen, strategically showing the flower tattoos she had on her collarbone. The boots were new, a late New Year's gift from Azula, as were the suspenders, left to sway beside her hips.

"How's your mouth? Are you sure you don't need an ointment?".

"Mom," she rolled her eyes, though she appreciated the concern. - "It's been nine weeks since I pierced it. We are past the ointment stage. It's healed".

She resisted the urge to run her tongue over the metal. It still hurt a little, more of a phantom sensation than anything else, but she was almost used to the silver ring metal emerging from her lower lip now. And honestly, she didn't regret it a bit.

Her cell phone vibrated on the desk, and she saw Zuko's name appear on the screen, and felt herself smiling, involuntarily. He had been reading Tomie for two whole days, and even while he kept complaining about how grotesque it was, he didn't seem at all willing to stop.t

Zuko was .... Zuko was something, alright. Normally, Mai would never pay attention to a boy who couldn't stand a bit of terror, but there was something special about his silly mannerisms and his shy personality. For someone with such an aggressively abrasive appearance, Zuko was, well, Zuko was comfortable.

"And where are you going today?" Michi asked again.

"Ty Lee wants to visit Harajuku and I'll go with her".

"You hate the place".

"To live is to sacrifice, mother".

And with that, she took the purse and the car keys from Michi's hands. She met Ty Lee at the entrance to the Shinjuku movie theater, where she was still saying goodbye to some of her colleagues from the dance class at the ballet academy, parking so her friend could get in the car without getting in the way of traffic. And, as always, the first thing Ty Lee did upon entering was to check her reflection in the mirror, messing up her bangs. Finally looking at her friend, she whistled softly:

"Azula was SO right about the piercing choice, it suits you perfectly! Also, that reminds me:"

She opened the bag she had placed between her legs and from inside got a small paper package the moment Mai stopped at a red light and had time to look to the side and see what it was. Ty Lee looked back at her with a huge eye smile.

Heavens, Ty Lee was awful. The girl ruined her whole unwavering pose.

She took Mai's purse, which was in the back seat, and put the new mascara she had bought from her favorite brand in there, immediately bending over to put some pop music on the radio, filling the whole car. Mai hated pop music with all her might, but for Ty Lee, she could take it.

She contented with walking along with her friend as she hopped from store to store, trying on extravagant clothes and wigs of colors that Mai didn't even know existed. While Ty Lee dragged her around Omotesando she even bought some things for herself. They had just bought two cups of iced coffee when Mai's cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she checked the notification on the screen. Zuko had finally arrived at her favorite chapter.

Zuko.

_Ready?_

**Not yet.**

**I'm not home right now.**

**Wait for me. I want to see your reaction.**

_What? But you're out right now?_

**It's not my fault.**

**Please?**

_Okay, but you owe me this one._

_If I die of curiosity, I want you to pay for the flowers in my coffin._

"Hm ....."Ty Lee hummed, swirling the ice in the glass. "You are very smiley today, Mai".

"How absurd. I am never smiley".

"That's not what I'm seeing. What's the big news?".

Mai swallowed, squeezing the cup in her fingers, while Ty Lee leaned her shoulder against hers, eyes shrewd and shining with curiosity. She should have guessed that she wouldn't be able to hide anything from her ... but, anyway, why was she hiding something at all? It wasn't like Mai was doing anything wrong.

"Do you know Azula's brother?".

"Zuko?".

“Yeah. At the beginning of the week, he got lost in the subway and I landed him a hand. A few days ago, he showed up at the flower shop and now we're talking over messages, about mangas". 

Ty Lee's entire face lit up with the new information, dimples appearing in the corners of her smile, and Mai looked away.

“Awwwwwnnnn. Mai, this is so cute!".

"Ty Lee," she growled, "please don't start."

“But seriously! Zuko is like, incredibly introverted. It's great that he's starting to make friends. And now that I've stopped to think about it, you two are like, perfect for each other".

Mai took a big sip of her coffee, trying to buy herself some time, but Ty Lee noticed, squinting in her direction.

“I don't know if I would say 'perfect'. He's overall pretty nice, but sometimes...."

“Sometimes?".

“Well, you saw it. Back at uni. He acted as if he didn't even know me".

“Hang on. Did you say you met him earlier in the week?

“Yes".

“This is very strange. Why would he act that way?".

“How should I know? You're the one dating his sister. If anything, you know him much better than I do".

But Ty Lee no longer seemed to be listening, lost in thought. The sun was already starting to set, however, and Mai had promised Michi that she would take care of Tom-Tom during the night so that the mother could rest from the tiring week in college. They went back to the car, stuffing Ty Lee's shopping bags in the back seat, and when Mai parked in the entrance to her building, the girl commented:

“Well, is it too much to ask you to give him a chance? I really think you guys would get along".

As a matter of fact, Mai didn't need her to ask that. Because, internally, she was already looking forward to going home, putting on her pajamas and a cartoon on the TV to distract her brother while she laid on the couch reading Zuko's messages and the silly jumpscares he seemed to get every other page.

Mai, however, had never been the most sincere of girls. So all she did was roll her eyes and mumble:

“I'll think about it".

Katara had the strange habit of distracting everyone when she was unable to concentrate. She didn't seem to do it consciously, however. It was more like she had the gravitational energy to draw all attention to herself.

That or Zuko was just making excuses for not being able to pay attention to his essays.

He closed his tired eyes, still feeling the same discomfort as always caused by the contact lenses, and laid his head on the open book, breathing in the smell of a new book. He looked back to where Katara was reading her copy, although it was obvious that the girl's head was elsewhere, spinning a pen between the fingers of her left hand with such skill that it looked just like a blue circle in constant motion.

“Is it too early to give up?".

“For the day?".

“For the rest of the year".

She rested her other arm on the table and laughed.

“You are always so dramatic".

“You already knew that".

"Not to this level," she tried to justify herself, "I think the bad internet connection and the twelve-hour time difference puts an end to some of the magic of your extravagance".

“What an exaggeration".

“C'mon, get back up".

In response, Zuko moved to bury his face between the pages. Katara was unable to contain her laughter this time, drawing the unhappy attention of the other students who were using the library.

“You're just a little tired, it's no reason to give up".

“Look who's talking" Zuko grunted. “You were just pretending to read".

“What an absurdity".

“By all spirits, Katara. I will fail this thing".

“No, you won't. Stop".

To emphasize her point, she stood up carefully, dragging the chair without making a sound, and gathered their books together under one arm. She was wearing a light blue overall and a black blouse, and the jeans matched her eye color perfectly. Zuko was a little jealous. If he wanted to get people's attention, he still needed Azula's help to choose the right clothes, which was a little pathetic, but Katara just seemed to do it naturally.

He whispered, alarmed:

“Where are we going?".

“The cafeteria. You need coffee. And I could use a chocolate bar".

Zuko had learned a long time ago not to question the decisions of his friend and tutor, and for that reason, he tied the sweatshirt that was placed on the back of the chair around his hips and followed her. The walk from the library to the cafeteria was strategically short, but not short enough that Katara didn't have time to run a hand through his messy hair, trying to tame his ever messy hairdo.

While Katara went straight to the line, Zuko looked for an empty table and ended up finding something much better. The girl saw him before he even started walking, and he returned the wave with a smile, approaching.

Suki wore black shorts and a striped button-down shirt with short sleeves, her hair in that hairstyle that looked just as messy and charming. That with her award winning smile, made Zuko wonder how some people in this world could be so beautiful and cool at the same time.

“Wow, did Katara let you rest?".

“Hey, she's getting better".

“I know “Suki gestured with one hand. “But don't say that to her. What fun is it if I can't make fun of my little sister-in-law?".

“I heard that" came the voice of the other girl, from somewhere behind Zuko, and he felt a weight on his head, where she had put the chocolate bar while sliding a cup of black coffee towards him. “I only passed out from fatigue once".

“One too many".

Zuko took the coffee in his hands and sipped.

“I agree".

Katara grunted.

Before officially moving to Tokyo, Zuko was taking some courses here and there on the internet, not yet sure what he wanted out of life, and in one of those, he had met the girl. Unlike him, Katara knew very well what her goal was, but she still didn't have enough savings for medical school, and until then, she didn't like to be unoccupied.

The friendship had crossed the frontiers of distance and the language barrier, and when the universe, ironically enough, decided that they had both passed the same university exam, she had been there, in her oversized shirt from some Canadian hockey team, to pick him up at the airport.

“And how is our favorite student doing?".

“Still having difficulty in philosophy and ethics" Katara raised an eyebrow while chewing “which is a little worrying".

“Hey!".

"Isn't your uncle a, like, lecturer at Harvard? How bad can you be at ethics?".

“Give me a break!".

“Yeah, poor Zuzu".

Azula ran a hand from the back of his neck to his forehead, lowering her brother's hair until it was covering his eyes and pinched his nose. Zuko complained, trying to hit her blindly, but the girl just laughed, dodging.

She came around his chair and sat on the table, waving briefly to the other two. Judging by the fact that she didn't carry any bags or books, Zuko guessed that she had just excused herself from her extra lecture to go to the bathroom and found him by chance.

“What do you want?".

“Wow. How bitter. I come bearing gifts!".

To emphasize her point, Azula placed a hand on her chest, as if it had hurt her heart. In response, Zuko pinched her on the thigh. Like a frightened kitten, she jumped, barely able to suppress an exclamation of surprise, and her entire face turned red when Katara and Suki laughed without bothering to disguise it.

Zuko smiled a little.

“Again: I came in peace!"

“And I highly doubt it".

Seeming to notice that she was already taking too long outside the classroom - although she probably had already learned the whole subject and attended only out of obligation - she went straight to the point:

“Ty Lee and I are going to a shogi event this weekend. Do you wanna come along?".

"And whose invitation exactly is that?".

"Hers, of course".

"No, thank you. I'd rather not third-wheel my sister".

Azula hit him with a flick in the middle of the forehead. Zuko wrinkled his nose, which was also red from the squeeze from before.

“If it was a date, I'd invite you along out of the kindness of my heart? Don't be stupid, Zuzu. We are going to support a friend. Ty Lee thinks it might be a good opportunity for you to get to know more about the city".

As a precaution, Zuko stretched his neck a little to the side to see Katara and Suki. The two nodded.

“I think she's telling the truth".

“Spirits! When did you start to have me in such low regards?".

“It was never high, to begin with".

Azula opened her mouth to answer, but Zuko was faster.

“Okay, just tell me the time to be there. And, uh ... Am I supposed to dress up?".

The younger one covered her eyes with her hand and sighed.

“Leave that part to me".

_Well, it's not like he ONLY writes bizarre stuff._

**How not? This story was just horror after horror.**

_It's a collection of horror stories, what did you expect?_

**That it had a happy ending ...?**

_...._

_I honestly can't tell if you're kidding._

**I wish I was.**

_Can you try to read another of his works?_

**I don't know, I think I'm still traumatized.**

_Come on, give it a try._

_Or do you want to go to the next on the recommendation list?_

**Ohhhh.**

**Did you make me a list?**

**I'm feeling really special.**

_As I said, you are impossible._

**One more.**

**ONLY ONE.**

_Great._

_Try Lingering Farewell. I think you'll like it._

**I am trusting you!**

_I feel honored._

_Ask your sister if she has that volume._

**Will do, I just**

**Sorry! My sister just lost a tooth!**

**Can you believe it?**

_Do you have another sister?_

**Yes, I have. Hadn't I mentioned her?**

_No._

_I have a little brother._

_He is also losing his baby teeth._

**Awwwwwnn.**

_What's so cute about that?_

_It's saliva and blood._

**Ewwww.**

**You just ruined my night.**

_What a drama king._

**I have to go, Azula is scaring Kiyi!**

**Good night, Mai <3**

. _..._

_Good night, Zuko._

**»**

Ty Lee was already waiting for them at the entrance to the building, in a beautiful floral dress and hair flowing freely down her shoulders, for once in her life. Zuko pretended not to laugh at his sister's silly expression and Azula pretended not to have noticed that he was hiding it.

“Finally you guys arrived, I already got a couch for us inside".

“A couch? “Zuko tilted his head a little to the side.

"We cannot attend the match in person," Azula explained, opening the door for them. “It would distract the players".

“But then...?".

“We watch on the internet!".

“Oh, ok. Righ"t.

Ty Lee guided them to a small room where some people were concentrated on the screens of their cell phones or laptops, turning on the streams and testing the Wi-Fi connection. While his sister did the same on her tablet, Zuko thanked the spirits for that being the last day he would need to wear those damn contact lenses. The seats were very comfortable and Zuko liked the silence, settling in easily while Azula and Ty Lee snuggled up on the couch parallel to his.

“Ah, Ty Lee. You're here".

Approaching where they were, there came a very tall and very beautiful girl, dressed in a light red kimono, which covered her up to the neck. Zuko narrowed his gaze a little, finding her face somewhat familiar, but ...

Wow.

It couldn't be.

It was the same girl from uni! The one that had basically snarled his name as if Zuko had burned her house. But without all the makeup and the piercing onher mouth and the little ones across her brow, she looked like a completely different person. Not _worse_. She was still frighteningly beautiful, just in a different way.

She seemed to spot him too. Zuko raised a hand in a weak wave.

To his surprise, she looked embarrassed.

Ty Lee took charge of the situation:

“So? Feeling confident?".

“As much as I can. It is a very important match today".

"I know," she said, taking the other's hands on hers " but I know you can do it".

“Important? “Zuko smiled, trying to make her feel a little less nervous.

“Mai is trying to become a _jory ū kishi._ She is already at the _2-kyu_ level, and if she wins the matches today, she will complete the 50% required to move up to _1-kyu_ ".

“Not quite ..." The other girl murmured "there are still a lot of other things I'm required to do".

“Yes, but today is still your chance at one of them" Azula amended, arching an eyebrow. “And I know you can do it".

She nodded.

“Thanks. For coming".

Zuko thought she sounded genuinely sincere. Which was a good thing, he thought, as she turned to go up the stairs, but at the same time a little unexpected, since she was supposed to have no idea who he was.

Oh, whatever. Zuko hoped she'd win.

Despite not understanding the rules of the game very well, Zuko found himself quite entertained by it, mainly because of the way both players seemed to be reading each other's movements. He knew the basics of chess, what Azula and Katara had forced him to learn, but he had never been a kid very interested in logic games, so it was interesting to see how people so passionate about strategy behaved when they had the opportunity.

Mai won, which made Ty Lee very happy, and when the other girl appeared at the door of the hall, she did not hesitate to wrap her in a hug. She was still smiling a little, a genuine smile, although small, like just a detail in a stoic face. Azula congratulated her more discreetly, with a proud look.

Zuko didn't have the kind of intimacy with her that would allow him to do any of that, but he waved from where he was sitting, happy as well.

“I'm going to change clothes very quickly, and we can go get something to eat".

Ty Lee volunteered to help her, possibly with the kimono, and Zuko stayed with his sister on the couch.

"So," he cleared his throat. “I kinda still don't know who she is?".

“Are you stupid?".

“Do you feel the need to be so mean all the time?".

"Sorry," she nodded, closing her eyes in a contemplative expression. “Do you always feel the need to be so intellectually inferior?".

Zuko planted a hand on her face, pushing her back, which Azula answered with a kick right in his left shin. He pulled a loose strand of her hair and the girl bit his hand, and when people started looking, Zuko was reminded that they were in a public place.

When Mai and Ty Lee came back, they were both a foot into dreamland, almost asleep leaning on each other. It was quite a comical sight, to say the least. Zuko, with that dark hair and the leather jacket and the naturally frowning face, and Azula, with the bright red sweatshirt and the makeup that showed the cruel curve of her smile, snoring calmly. It was also one of the few opportunities that allowed others to realize how physically similar they really were.

It soon became clear why they took so long: Mai had replaced all the makeup he remembered, with a touch of pink on the eyeliner, certainly Ty Lee's work, and even put her piercing in place . She was wearing purple black shorts with a black blouse and a red checkered shirt too wide, her hair left to fall around her shoulders.

In a way, Zuko thought she was even more interesting with those two facets. Like an unreadable puzzle.

They went for ice cream later, and while Azula and Mai energetically argued over all the rules, pros and cons of the match, Ty Lee and he watched a montage of Pokémon on the girl's cell phone, sharing a huge strawberry milkshake. So he managed to hide it when his vibrated in his pocket and he turned on the cursor to see a message from his sister that simply said:

_Get out._

“Uh, Ty Lee, do you mind getting a refill for us?" He asked, swinging the almost empty cup between them.

She nodded excitedly, practically skipping towards her girlfriend, who looked at her with an exasperated expression when she approached, grabbing a handkerchief to wipe the remains of Ty Lee's milk shake out of the corner of her mouth. As always, it seemed that the two were trapped in their own little. And Zuko knew that he was not the only one to have that impression when he saw that Mai was rolling her eyes at her friends and walking away cautiously.

When Mai sat next to him on the bench, however, Zuko didn't feel like she was really angry.

"I know it's rude on my part, but I need to go now," he explained.

“Why?".

“Azula wants to be alone with Ty Lee. And I don't want to be the one third-wheeling".

Mai propped an elbow on her leg and laid her head on her hand, looking at them both for a moment with a thoughtful, albeit somewhat distant, expression. Zuko noticed how beautiful her eyes were. Like molten gold, almost escaping from the edges of the irises.

“Do you want a ride?".

“Won't that be a problem for you?".

“No. And I don't want you to get lost on the subway again".

Zuko laughed, embarrassed.

“Did Azula tell you that too?".

Mai looked at him, confused, blinking her pretty eyes, and before he could get too distracted, Zuko stood up, discreetly waving to Azula, who showed him her tongue so Ty Lee wouldn't notice, and the remaining two started moving towards where she had parked the car.

Mai drove with a pop song playing on the radio, which he was almost certain wasn't her go-to driving music, and they spent the trip talking about silly things, like the weather and the details of the championship.

But the trip was not very long, and they soon started to approach the neighborhood where he lived. Mai seemed to know exactly where to go, and Zuko concluded that she had probably picked Azula up there before.

"You can leave me right here," he said.

“Seriously?".

“Yeah. I want to check out a manga I've been meaning to buy".

Her face lit up. Which was a little cute.

“Mind if I go down with you?".

Normally, Zuko would mind, yes. He did not enjoy the company of strangers, least of all when he was minding his own business, and his newfound interest in manga was, for the time being, something he would like to have the luxury of keeping for himself for a while longer, before inevitably meet some asshole who would screw it up. His reading of macabre horror manga was something between him and the florist, and Zuko didn't want anyone getting in the way.

But, for some reason, he didn't have that impression with Mai. Although he hardly exchanged words with her until then, he felt comfortable in her presence. It wasn't _necessarily_ a friendship ... At least, not yet.

He felt a little shiver down his spine when he entered the store, impressed by the power of the air conditioner. When he looked back over his shoulder, however, he saw that Mai was avoiding his gaze while hugging her torso.

“Are you cold?".

“... A little".

He pondered that for a moment. What would Azula do— No, forget it. Bad idea. _What would Suki do?_ Was it invasive of him to offer what he were thinking of offering? They certainly didn't have that level of intimacy. But if he did it politely, it might not be so bad. It didn't seem fair to him that Mai had to suffer from the cold.

“Do you want my jacket?".

“You don't have to".

Silence.

They kept walking. They passed by without looking at the most recent manga section. Mai's teeth trembled.

“.... Are you sure?".

“Yeah, OK".

Zuko couldn't help a small, discreet smile. He removed the jacket that Azula had chosen for him and held it out to Mai, who accepted it with a little embarrassment, but seemed a thousand times more comfortable to be welcomed into it.

They continued to advance, and while Zuko searched the seinnens section, Mai seemed to spot something that caught her eye. He stopped to see what it was, too, and saw her staring at a small poster of a girl with brown hair wearing a white sweater.

“What is it?".

“Don't you know?".

"Hey," he held up his hands in front of him in defense. “I'm new to this".

"Sure," she rolled her eyes. “Memories of Emanon. It is one of the best I have ever read".

“And what is it about?".

“Well ... it's hard to describe. About life, I think. It tells the story of a girl who was born with all the memories of the world".

Zuko raised his eyebrows, looking at her in disbelief.

“Like ... Reincarnations?".

“No. The memories of the world. Since the first human, I mean, the first organism to leave the water for the land, up until the most recent generation".

“How is this possible?".

“Not even she knows, to tell you the truth. One of the great questions in it is precisely whether there is a need for something like her to exist".

“But, if you stop to think about it" unconsciously, he put a hand to his chin, reflecting “, wouldn't someone like that do the rest of us a lot of good?".

“What do you mean by that?".

“I mean, if someone with all the memories of the world could tell us the story from such a personal perspective, maybe things would be different. We would learn faster from our mistakes".

“But isn't that a pretty inhuman view of her? Emanon is still a person. You are thinking of her as nothing more than a container of memories".

“No, I ... okay, you have a point. But isn't denying this possibility completely naive?".

“Naive?".

“I'm not exactly talking about the concept of destiny, but ... if you are born with such an ability, isn't it your responsibility to help the world?".

Mai turned away from him, staring at the volumes on the shelf.

“But that is to imply that we are stuck with what we can do for others, not for ourselves".

“Somehow. There is no escaping that kind of thing. Let's see .... If you are someone with an inherent talent for, say, surgery, it is common for people to want you to use it for the good of the world".

“And yet, what people want from you shouldn't influence what you want to do".

Zuko felt that she was physically moving away from the conversation.

“I think there is a much thinner line between what we _want_ _to do_ and what we _should do_ than we are both imagining".

“Actually, there is a very interesting part about it ..." she reached out to take one of the volumes, and when she turned to him again, she realized that they were much closer than the last time. “,oh".

She had her arms against her chest, the volume landing between them like an invisible barrier. Zuko felt hispulse quicken, her neck certainly turning red, as she looked him in the eye. And for a moment, no one said anything.

Mai, luckily, was a lot less clumsy than he was. She cleared her throat, bringing them back to reality, and Zuko walked away, clearing his. She straightened the strands of hair that had left their place, and extended the manga to him.

“It's better if you find out for yourself".

At the end of that day, Zuko forgot to buy the horror volume that the florist had recommended, but returned home with a completely different one, and without his favorite leather jacket.

**( I'm reading a new manga .**

_Really?_

**Yes. "Memories of Emanon".**

**It's a little confusing at first, but I'm enjoying it.**

**And I think I'm a little in love with the main character.**

_Is she your type?_

**My type?**

_Yeah._

_Does the collective consciousness of all human beings to have existed in this world make you sigh?_

**Funny, aren't we?**

_Is this a no?_

**This is a:**

**I'm starting to realize that I have a weakness for sarcastic and intelligent girls.**

**And the ones that make me feel lost.**

_Wow, Tom-Tom is calling me._

_Talk to you later._

**Sure.)**

**»**

Zuko's shoes scraped on the sand of the playground as he propelled himself on the swing. The feeling of being suspended in the air when you were almost twenty years old and six feet tall was very different from what he remembered when he was a child.

Aang, however, did not seem to care. He was swinging so fast that Zuko was afraid the chain would break at any moment.

“.... Yes, and then she said she fell five more floors before the handle of the parachute finally got stuck on a slope in the building wall".

“Hm ..." Aang commented, almost upside down. At that point, he was just a blur. “And that was all in one dream?".

Zuko took the chocolate popsicle out of his mouth to answer. It was a humid day, and he had discarded his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. The sun was shining in the orange sky marking the end of the afternoon, and the neon sign of the convenience store across the street, where they had bought the candies, was beginning to flash in shades of pink, highlighting the approaching night.

“Yeah. Kiyi's imagination is impressive, isn't it?".

Aang began to slow the swing. He was much taller than Zuko, but somehow, he had a much better balance too.

Zuko had planned to come home early and sleep, but talking to Aang was always a clear sign that this was not going to happen. The boy was always able to conduct a conversation for hours on end, and he would be lying if he said he didn't like those overtime hours. It was good to talk to someone so completely open. It made him feel accepted in a way he had never felt before, with the exception, perhaps, of Uncle Iroh.

“I finally found you!".

Zuko turned his head back, which caused some of his melted popsicle to get on his shirt, enough to pull a disgusted face from his sister. Aang waved excitedly at her, which made the younger girl's expression soften for a moment.

"Here," was all she said, before throwing the bundle into his lap .

Zuko fumbled to pick it up, and, for sure, he would have dropped everything on the floor and been absurdly screwed up in the process, had it not been for the outside help of a hand in fingerless gloves whose nails were perfectly enamelled in black, holding the popsicle stick in your mouth.

“Mai!".

His voice came out a little strange, because he was talking with his mouth full, technically, but Mai seemed to find the notion amusing.

“Hi, Zuko".

"How sweet" Azula muttered ", literally".

Finally, Zuko looked down and saw what Azula had thrown at him. A little box ...

“My glasses!".

“I got it earlier from the shop. Ty Lee and I are going to sleep over at Suki's today, and I didn't want you whining until morning".

“Azula!".

“For all that is good in this world, you don't even think about pick—".

Too late. Zuko swallowed the rest of the popsicle in one mouthful, took the wood pick in one hand and with his free arm brought his sister close, squeezing her in a bear hug.

“WHAT DID I JUST SAY?".

“Shhhhh" he squeezed her some more “just enjoy the moment".

“I! AM! NOT! ENJOYING! ANY! PART! OF! THIS! MOMENT!".

"Awwnnnn, " Ty Lee said in the background.

She and Mai went in the direction of the seesaws, and when the second sat down promptly at one end, and the other shot upward, taking Ty Lee with it, she couldn't have been happier to have box seats for the show that was Azula receiving affection.

“I! SAID! IT'S! ENOUGH!". 

Just to annoy her a little more, Zuko lifted her off the floor and spun in the air, laughing at her startled exclamation. Then, finally, he left his sister and, when he turned around, Aang already had his glasses in his hands ready to just slide them on his friend's face. Which he did.

“I love you" Zuko touched the frame gently. “Never leave me again, please".

“Heavens" Azula's mouth twisted “are you _that_ touch starved?".

“Shut up. And what is this talk about sleeping at Suki's house?".

“She will fight in the judo tournament tomorrow and we are doing a moral support event!" Ty Lee explained.

“Which is practically an excuse to guarantee that she won't be overly attached to training the night before".

“Sounds like fun".

“It will be incredible. But it's girls only, sorry".

“I wasn't-".

“Girls, and Aang".

“Oh, yeah. Girls, and Aang".

Zuko blinked.

“Pardon?".

“Aang is going too. Suki asked him to".

He looked at his friend, who was still smiling, without any changes, and shrugged. You know what? It made sense.

“Right. So are you three goint straight from here?".

“We two".

He craned his neck to look at Mai, who was reading something on her cell phone.

“My teacher likes to screw with my life" was all the explanation she was willing to give.

Fortunately, Ty Lee was there:

“What she means is that she has a work on perspective due tomorrow and will use the night to visit a museum in Ueno".

“Alone?" Zuko lowered his shoulders. “Sounds awful".

“Well, there will always be another championship, and—".

“Zuko likes art!". Aang interrupted.

He exchanged a questioning look with his sister, who seemed as lost as he was. Ty Lee completed:

“If you have nothing else to do, you should go with Mai. It's another part of the city for you to discorver". 

“I....".

"I agree, actually," Azula interjected. “It sucks that she'll have to spend the night studying. A friend could be good".

“Hey" Mai held up a hand, but she didn't seem too bothered. “When is it my turn to speak?".

Ty Lee jumped from her seat on the seesaw, and the sudden change caused the toy to wobble. Then, although the girl landed perfectly well on the sand of the playground, Mai was startled when the seesaw sent her up for a second before returning her to the floor. Zuko thought (correctly) that she wouldn't want someone laughing at her, soshe controlled himselfwell, which was difficult, considering the betrayed expression on her face.

"Well," he said, looking at her with a half smile ",it's only if you want to."

(Mai's car was being repaired, so they walked together to the subway station. It was slowly getting dark around them, and they went on in comfortable silence as children laughed on their bikes and an elderly couple, who was right behind them, talked about some memory.

"I have something for you," she said suddenly, when they were already crammed into the crowd waiting for the train.

Mai brought the bag to the front of the body and took out a folded set of dark fabric.

“I washed it, so you don't have to worry".

The voice on the loudspeaker announced that the subway was approaching and people were stirring, starting to elbow each other. Zuko looked at Mai's face and the way she was holding the fabric towards him, and smiled.

“Stay with it a little longer. I think it will still get very cold today".

And when they got on the subway and Zuko got a seat for her, standing right in front of Mai, she, looking tired but content, put the folded jacket on her lap, with more care than would probably be necessary.

“Something wrong?".

They were standing outside the museum, wallets in hand, but he didn't even need that question to know that something was bothering her. Mai was a pretty expressionless person in general, but the tiredness in her eyes and the marks around her mouth were noticeable. He lowered his head a little, trying to keep up with her vision.

“No".

Zuko was silent, but did not move. She glanced at the museum. And then back to him.

“... Yes? Do not know. It's just ... I'm so tired, I don't even want to spend another three hours analyzing _perspectives_ ".

“Do you want to go home?".

“My mom has the night off today".

“Isn't that a good thing?".

“It would be, if she wasn't as tired as me. She is studying nursing at night and every off one is precious. It's her day to look after Tom-Tom, but if I go home now, I know she'll ask me to change. And I know I will say yes" she bit the corner of her mouth, without touching the piercing “,heavens, how selfish am I".

“A little. But that doesn't mean you don't deserve a little rest".

They were silent for a moment, just looking at the magnanimous structure of the museum, feeling the night air that had already started to cool shaking their hair while Mai hugged his jacket, still folded against her body, when Zuko finally turned to her with a newly found fire in the eyes.

“Then let's go".

“I ... I don't know what you mean."

“Let's go. Take a walk. Anything to get your head off those worries".

“I'm not sure...".

“Come on, give me a chance".

The night lights reflected in her eyes, and for an instant, Zuko found himself in them. And he knew that that moment, in some way, would change everything.

Because it was at that moment that Mai trusted him, for the first of many times to come).

Mai was a girl who liked to be silent, calm, and comfortable. Zuko didn't have to think too hard to know where to take her. The small, cozy cafe that emerged like a sore thumb in Akibahara had few visitors on a weeknight, which was even better. A jazz was playing softly through the speakers and the waiter who attended them seemed to be dozing with one hand on the counter.

To absolutely no one's surprise, Mai liked espresso and sugar-free coffee, but Zuko had convinced her to try it with a little bit of whipped cream on top. He, in turn, was nibbling on a heart-shaped candy while he waited for his macchiato to cool.

"Ty Lee told me that you still get lost when you walk alone," she said. “How do you know this place?".

“Aang introduced me. Apparently they have a very varied vegetarian menu".

She took a sip, looking surprised by the strangely sweet taste, and Zuko noticed the tips of her ears turning red as she tried to hide it. He put his face in one hand, feeling himself smile.

“You made friends pretty fast".

“Well... it was kind of involuntary. I already knew Katara. Aang is her boyfriend, and Suki, her best friend. In a way, they adopted me".

Mai had had the cup to her lips, and when she laughed, she almost smeared herself with coffee. Zuko held out a napkin for her.

“Katara? I've heard that name".

“Ah, she is very popular on campus , I think. She used to compete in junior national swimming a few years ago, back in Canada".

“.... Swimming?" Mai frowned thoughtfully. “Wait, does she have an older brother?".

“Yes, she does. But I still haven't met him. It seems that he is one of the best in the engineering course and is always busy."

She seemed to want to say something, but gave up. Zuko noticed that she did that a lot. As if she had too many thoughts, and too few words, then all she had left was to hope that he could read her silences.

They continued talking until they ran out of sweets and coffee, and when Mai put the empty cup on the china plate, Zuko asked her if she was feeling better. The answer was not completely satisfactory, just polite enough, and he felt himself getting a little disappointed. He wanted to help her, but maybe it wasn't that simple.

Before he could suggest anything, she said:

“Did you spend all this time looking out the window? What's out there?".

“What? “His voice cracked like a teenager's, and Zuko smiled awkwardly. “Nothing. Nothing at all".

Mai narrowed her eyes. Since his first meeting with her in the uni hallway, Zuko had learned that she was nowhere near as scary as she had seemed at first, but it was still quite a look.

“.... You want to go to the arcade" it was not a question.

She was staring at him with a perfectly arched eyebrow, the one with the trio of small silver piercings, and Zuko felt a little intimidated, until he saw the corners of her mouth pulled imperceptibly upward.

“It just doesn't seem like your kind of place".

When Mai tilted her head slightly to the side, the strands of her bangs moved together, hypnotically.

“I could say the same about you".

“I suck at them. There aren't many arcades back at Amber" he gave in ",but I learned to like it recently".

“It's all right".

Pulling out the red faux leather wallet and calling the waiter with the other hand, in the next moment, Mai was standing, passing the purse strap over her shoulder and waiting for him with a happy countenance.

Zuko stood up.

(“This is not fair! You said you had never played before.

“It's not that hard. Just aim at the right time".

“You lied to me?".

“How absurd" she turned to him, and Zuko was impressed with how genuinely entertained she looked “,it is not much different from throwing knives".

“.... Knives?".

“I learned when I visited Ty Lee at the circus".

“.... _Circus_?".

Mai rolled her eyes. Zuko laughed, openly, feeling his chest tighten. She turned back to the machine and started shooting again, the score display going up like he had never seen it before).

Mai had exchanged their chips for a small magic cube, and now Zuko was waiting for her while spinning the toy between his languid fingers. Azula had taught him to solve it a few years ago, and he could almost hear his sister's voice saying to him that _it's just an equation, Zuzu, you're not that dumb._ He was almost finished with the cross when she returned, lipstick retouched and her bladder empty, and they sat for a moment on the pink sofa of the manga cafe, shoulders leaning against each other while the other customers chatted and a 90s city pop music played in the background.

It was already quite dark outside, the neon lights of Akibahara shining and reflecting in the huge windows of the cafe, pedestrians rushing past each other on the sidewalk, and the soft smell of lemon balm filling the air.

Mai was wearing his jacket, really this time, and the piece was loose on her body, allowing her to curl up in herself, snuggled up.

"I haven't been in a place like this for so long," she said.

“Why not?".

“I don't .... I don't get along with the outside world very well. You must have noticed".

“Well" Zuko leaned backon the sofa, putting an arm back, but not putting it around her shoulders, noticing how close they were. Mai noticed. “Neither do I".

She smiled a little.

“I think we have a lot in common".

They bought a see-through umbrella at a 24-hour convenience store to break through the small drizzle that fell outside, and Mai was holding their magic cube in one hand while Zuko protected them. They walked side by side, synchronized.

“I know it's late, but do you want to take one last stop before I take you home?".

“It depends. Will it involve any arcades?".

“No arcades, I promise".

“In that case, I'm in your hands".

The Tokyo subway at night was a completely different experience, almost too different. As soon as they came down the stairs, they found an almost entirely empty platform, with the exception of an elderly couple, an old man who seemed to be almost snoring and a girl with blue hair who had obviously just put out a cigarette, judging by the smell.

Inside, there were many vacant seats, but they sat together, opposite to a tired mother with a child on her lap who kept snoring, and in the other corner of the car, a man in a blue suit had his face buried in his hands, crying softly .

Mai approached him as the train cut through the night, and the classic rock that came from the headphones of a frowning teenager carried their journey. At one point, when the train stopped, the boy lost his balance from where he was standing and stumbled until he fell on his butt on one of the benches and Mai buried her face in his shoulder to hide a laugh. Zuko tried to look away, but had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing too.

Her arm slid around his, and he couldn't help thinking about how everything just felt _right_.

“I can't believe you put us on the train to Ichigaya without knowing if it was going to stop raining or not" she sounded more impressed than upset.

“What can I say? To live is to gamble".

The gentleman who took care of the place greeted them kindly, and Zuko paid for a small boat for two, entering first, and helping Mai up, taking care not to get her clothes wet. The reflection of the full moon danced in the water every time the boat rocked, and when Mai finally settled down, Zuko rowed, just enough to put them in the middle of the lake, not far from the wooden platform.

“You are more impulsive than I expected".

“I hear that a lot. Well, from Azula, at least".

His jacket wrapped her body like a cloak, and the hair, which she had loosened in the middle of the trip, framed Mai's face with dark locks that mixed with the darkness of the night. They were sitting facing each other, Zuko with his hands on his knees, and hers flat on the board on which she was sitting. The boat rocked slightly from time to time.

“... thank you".

Her voice sounded softer than he thought he had ever heard, and from the way Mai was looking down, not at him, Zuko guessed that she had heard it too.

“You're welcome".

"You are very polite, but please take my thanks," she looked up, the moonlight illuminating the gold she had in place of her eyes. “If it weren't for you, at this hour I would be locked in my room listening to some bad playlist and eating junk food to forget that my friends were having fun without me".

“It seems like a dream night to me".

“Normally, it is., But I ... I like company sometimes".

Zuko nodded.

“I feel the same way. Sometimes I get overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends, and I don't know what I would do without them, but I like the silence too. To have time just for me. And sometimes I don't know what I want".

"Well, if it's any consolation" she leaned forward a little, crossing her arms over her legs. “, you knew exactly what I wanted. No, what I _needed_ ".

They were in a happy silence after that, just watching the tiny waves that the boat's movement made in the lake and Zuko even ventured to dip his hand in the cold water, complaining right away, which pulled a smile from the girl.

“I wasn't being honest earlier today".

He waited for her to continue.

“About my mom and Tom-Tom. I'm tired, it's true. But not only that. All my life, I thought I was going to leave the house, and go as far away from them as fast as I could. But then some things…. _changed_ , and I do not want to leave them alone. And now I'm scared of getting attached again".

Zuko thought for a long moment, considering his answer. He could feel his hands trembling beside his body, anxious. It had been a while since he had to think about it.

"I understand the feeling," he said finally. “I left home very early. At about fourteen I was living alone, with the help of an uncle. I thought if I went far away enough, I could get away from it all. But I couldn't. And when I inevitably had to go back, everything was even worse than before. My mom needed me the way I had needed her, and..... Well, now I could help. I think what I'm trying to say is that life is not a straight, unalterable line. You can take two steps forward and one step back. And "he hesitated, brooding over the words before he had the courage to say them out loud “,if you want, I can be here to walk with you".

Mai was not good with words, he had understood that. But she smiled, with her entire face, and it was a little difficult to tell in the gloom of the night, but he thought he saw her cheeks turning pink, in a charming way. She brought her knees close to the body, hugging them.

“OK, I'll ask just before you think I'm avoiding the subject—".

“The scar?"

She nodded.

“My father was a violent man. Not only with me, of course, but I think he used me as an escape valve. One day, he came back in more anger than usual, and I was there. It was all he needed".

“I'm so sorry".

She made no move to approach until he was looking her in the eye, when she dared to put a hand over his and caress it lightly.

“It's okay now, really".

“Even so".

Zuko turned his palm up and took her hand, interlacing his fingers. She was surprised, but did not back down.

“I mean it".

Mai stared at him for a moment, still unsure if he needed to talk more about the subject, but finally conceded. Zuko pulled her by the hand, and she noticed what he was trying to do, which made her comment, with a half smile:

“We can't stay on the same side of the boat, you know?".

Zuko blushed.

“No?".

She laughed, shaking her head. Involuntarily, he pouted.

“I think we better go home".

"Wait," Mai asked, squeezing his hand in hers. “Just a little more".

(Zuko left her at the door of her building, panting on the way back from the station, and a little sleepy, but still static, and when Mai needed to, inevitably let go of his arm to take the keys out of her purse, he slumped. 

She stopped at the entrance, looking at him over her shoulder, and waved. He waved back.

That night, Mai hung Zuko's jacket on the same hanger, wondering how many times it was going to happen, as she buried her face in the pillow, and on the other side, he went to sleep holding one hand over his chest, and a silly smile in the face).

**»**

**So, I finished Memoirs of Emanon.**

_Really?_

**Yes, and I liked it a lot! I think I even more than liked Tomie.**

_I don't know how I feel about it._

**And I think I solved a problem in my head.**

_Seriously? What?_

**I decided that I think our lives should be more than just living.**

**We should be happy, with the people we choose.**

**It is a pity that Emanon will never be able to spend a long time with the one she loves.**

_I always thought it was the other way around._

_They are the ones who leave._

**Yes, but if her life is eternal, then, in one way or another**

**Emanon is saying goodbye to people before she really knows them.**

**It is a tragedy.**

**I like to think that when I spend time with someone**

**That time means something. For both.**

_I...._

_I agree, actually._

**I'm flattered.**

**Any other recommendations?**

_Let me think a little, you surprised me._

**Ahhh, but I want another one soon!**

_I will think as soon as possible._

**That is a promise?**

_...._

_Yes, a promise._

**»**

“Zuko, did you eat my cereal—" Azula stopped mid-sentence, and mid-step too, surprised “hi, uncle".

“Azula" Iroh greeted, on the other side of the screen, smiling. “Is your brother eating your stuff again?".

“It was not me!" Zuko hissed, indignant. “Why do you always accuse me?".

“Because Kiyi is allergic!".

“And? You are allergic to peanuts and still steal mine and throw it away!".

“Yes, but I did it out of spite. You do it because you are not satisfied with your own cereal".

Zuko turned in his chair to look at her, who had leaned on the kitchen counter, wearing white shorts and a pink sweatshirt that surely Ty Lee had left there at some point and she had simply taken for herself, and the hair of someone who had just woken up.

Iroh laughed at his nephews. Zuko called him once a week to find out how things were on the other side of the world, and because he missed him so much.

“Azula, Zuko" their mother's voice came from the stairs, and the two turned to see her coming down, adjusting the earrings with one hand and carrying the youngest on the other arm “you will need to take care of Kiyi today. The producer just informed me of an emergency".

“Emergency?" Azula repeated.

“One of the models got sick, and they'll need a replacement".

Zuko rested his arm on the back of the chair.

“Are _you_ going to model?".

“What's with that tone, huh?".

“I'm just surprised!".

"You shouldn't be," Iroh commented, "your mother was the cover of several magazines when she was younger".

“Iroh? Heavens, I didn't even notice you there" she approached, leaning between her children to look at the laptop screen. “I'm sorry".

“Not to worry. I hope things are going well at the company".

"Great, actually," she said, while Azula absently adjusted a lock of hair that she had out of place, "I must go now. Watch out for your sister!".

“Worst case scneario she breaks a few bones" the girl shrugged.

“Azula".

The girl smiled awkwardly. Shaking her head, Ursa ruffled her son's hair a little and planted a kiss on both the youngests cheeks, immediately running towards the door. Kiyi climbed the chair, or rather tried, until her sister took her under the arms and placed her in Zuko's lap.

“Uncle Iroh!"

“Well, if it isn't my cutest niece".

Zuko looked over his shoulder at Azula, showing his tongue.

“Imean, cutest relative".

“Hey".

Iroh laughed, in a way that seemed to make him younger.

“But I'm afraid I need to go too. I still have to prepare this week's classes. It was nice to talk to you all".

Kiyi waved excitedly, and when the call ended, Azula started walking towards the refrigerator.

“She's your responsibility today".

Zuko held her by the hood of her sweatshirt, eyes closed in irritation.

“You stay".

And that's how they ended up huddled on top of the sofa, while Zuko combed Kiyi's hair and Azula did her nails, watching some documentary on television about the giants of gas in the galaxy. The youngest seemed about to fall asleep, so Azula needed to keep poking her, which always resulted in a fit of laughter.

As the nail polish on one hand dried, Azula quickly took out her cell phone to check something, and smiled.

“Wow, that picture was amazing" she raised the device to face height “isn't it?".

Kiyi stretched her neck to see and agreed:

“Your friend is beautiful, Zuzu 2".

“Don't call me that" he girl pinched her little sister lightly, which only made her laugh.

Zuko was distracted by the photo. Mai, posing for the camera with the moon behind her and an enigmatic look, the light reflected in the water around them, her face in one hand and the little smile in the corner.

“Wait" Azula took the phone back to her, and Zuko blinked, as if waking up from a dream “isn't that the fishing lake in Ichigaya that you love?".

“Well...".

A cat's smile spread across his sister's face, while Kiyi, bored, leaned against him, looking up with her big brown eyes.

“My dear little brother .... -".

“... I am older than you-"

“Are you falling for my friend?".

Zuko didn't have an answer, because he didn't want to think about it. So he did the first thing that came to his head, and pushed Azula's forehead with one hand. She lost her balance, falling off the couch, and spilling nail polish on Ty Lee's sweatshirt.

“ZUKO!".

Kiyi, as always, was happy to contribute:

“Fight fight Fight!".

“For all that is good in this world, Sokka, didn't you have a less hot day to want to shop?".

“Nope. These pretties“he gestured to the bags of clothes he had placed on the adjacent chair “were only on sale today".

OK, it wasn't like Mai could argue with that, dressed all in black on a completely hot day like that. But she had a right to complain .

“Oh, yeah, do you know who your sister is friends with?".

“Half of college?".

“Wouldn't know. I prefer to pretend that there are no other people there. I was talking about Zuko".

“Your Zuko?".

“Absolutely nothing about him is mine".

"Not yet," he sipped audibly from his iced tea box, on purpose. “But, yeah. Now that you're saying it, I think Katara mentioned him at some point".

“How do you let such a thing pass?".

“Who do you think I am? Your cupid?" he laughed. “No, really. I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure yet. In fact, how are things going with him?".

Mai took a sip of her own tea, wondering if she should give the details to her friend. It wasn't that Sokka was a gossip. But he was infinitely more emotionally intelligent than she was. What if Mai was just seeing things where they _didn't_ exist? What if there was nothing more to the fateful museum night that had been living in your dreams all week?

She was not ready to be contradicted yet.

A notification appeared on her cell phone, over the table.

**flameo.hotman likes your photo.**

**flameo.hotman sent a message.**

_Mai!_

**ribbons.and.knives**.

Hi, Zuko.

**flameo.hotman**

Where are you now?

**ribbons.and.knives.**

Why?

**flameo.hotman**

Is it too far from Sangenjaya?

**ribbons.and.knives.**

I'm in Kichijoji shopping.

Again: why?

**flameo.hotman sent you a photo.**

**ribbons.and.knives.**

Is that Azula?

**flameo.hotman**

She spilled nail polish on Ty Lee's sweatshirt and is desperate.

If you were around you could watch from the best seats in town.

Once in a lifetime oportunity.

**ribbons.and.knives.**

Spirits. I almost pity her. 

**flameo.hotman**

Almost?

**ribbons.and.knives.**

:)

**flameo.hotman**

You're horrible.

“Let me guess ..." Sokka hummed. “It's him?".

“Stop".

“But why? There's nothing wrong with getting along with someone".

“I know there isn't. It's just ... you're going to think I'm crazy".

“And that would change what, exactly?".

“It's like ... Like I'm talking to two completely different people".

Sokka leaned against the back of the chair, interested.

“Through messages, he talks to me about absolutely everything, and I feel like we're really close. But personally, Zuko acts like we're just getting to know each other".

“I don't see why the two things cannot coexist".

“But that's not all. I feel like he's treating me like I'm two completely different people. And it's ... bizarre".

“Coming from you, this is new" Sokka concluded, taking the rest of the tea and passing the handle of their purchases by the arm. “Look, I think you just need to talk. Perhaps he is shy and communicates better by message".

“Maybe" Mai finished hers too, throwing the boxes in the nearest trash can. “Maybe not".

**»**

_Good night, Punpun._

**Good night. But my name is Zuko.**

**You know it.**

_It's the name of the manga, smarty._

**Ohhhhh.**

**I've been waiting for this for so long!**

_It's only been two weeks._

**I'm going to buy the digital version right now.**

**Tomorrow we talk about the first chapter.**

_Right. Whatever you want._

**Good night!**

_...._

_good night_

_< 3_

**»**

**ribbons.and.knives.**

Do you have plans for today?

**flameo.hotman**

If by plans you mean,

Read manga all day and seek Kiyi in evening dojo event, then, yes.

If you mean to say something productive, then no, I don't.

**ribbons.and.knives.**

Do you want to go out with me?

Zuko almost twisted his spine with how fast he sat on the bed with, surprised. The message continued exactly where it was, with no dots underneath indicating that Mai was going to complete the sentence.

His mouth felt dry.

**flameo.hotman**

Of course. Where?

**ribbons.and.knives.**

It is not....

It won't be fun. Most likely.

**flameo.hotman**

Oh.

It's all right.

Do you want me to pick you up?

**ribbons.and.knives.**

You don't have to. I will send you the location and you can meet me there.

**flameo.hotman**

I'll be waiting.

He started walking toward the bathroom, planning on washing his face, when a thought struck his mind.

**flameo.hotman**

Ah, Mai?

**ribbons.and.knives.**

What?

**flameo.hotman**

Do I need to bring you another jacket?

**ribbons.and.knives**.

Ha-Ha. 

Very funny.

**flameo.hotman**

I'm just making sure.

See you.

**ribbons.and.knives.**

.... See you .

Again, Zuko was stunned by how beautiful Mai was still without makeup. Well, almost without makeup, he supposed, although he didn't quite understand. He thought someone would describe her at that moment as "less flashy". She had replaced the red stripes and black tank tops with a white sweater, overcoat pinstripes and jeans underneath, and her hair was tied up. Surrounded by the flowers that formed the scenery, she looked like one of the models in Ursa's magazines.

"Hi," he approached cautiously, feeling the hesitation in the air. “I hope I didn't take too long".

“You arrived earlier than I expected, actually".

“I came running".

Mai looked at him in surprise and Zuko laughed. She shook her head in exasperation, but patted him on the shoulder.

“What are we doing here?".

It was a beautiful day, and Zuko would love to take her for a walk through Shinjuku or even just sit and watch people on a bench in Inokashira and make small talk. But something told him it was not what Mai needed.

“I just need a moment. Can you wait a bit?".

“Of course".

He pulled away a little, giving her space, and Mai closed her eyes to organize her thoughts. Zuko stared at the clear blue sky and the flowers that grew around it. He had seen the tips of a flowery tattoo on her neck, but no more. It was funny, now that he thought about it, how quickly those little dots of color and aroma were gaining significance in his life.

When Mai returned to him, she seemed calmer. In peace. They walked together to a nearby bench, and she explained:

“My father taught me how to play when I was very young. I don't think he wanted me to become a professional or anything, he just thought I had more fun with quiet games ... And he was right. So, when he started to distance himself each time, I still had his memory, on the boards and in the pieces" she stopped for a moment, twisting the fingers of one hand in the other, and Zuko held his breath, already having an idea of what had followed. “Four years ago, when he was murdered inside his office, my mom and I finally found out that he had messed with a lot of people he shouldn't have. The worst kind. And now .... Now ...".

“Now you feel like you no longer have those memories. As if they were no longer yours".

She nodded her head.

“He was never a good father, and as far as I know, he was a long way from being a good person. But I still feel like I love him, you know? I don't know what to do with those .... _Feelings_. I never know".

It didn't look like she was about to cry or anything, but the way her voice shook was even sadder. Zuko did not like to see her like this. Zuko liked to see Mai smiling, making some ironic comment or simply looking at him with that unreadable face. And, _wow_ , now that he was listing things, there were many of them, weren't there?

“Can I hug you?" he asked, quietly.

She just nodded. Carefully, Zuko put an arm around her shoulders, and Mai buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath. He rested his chin on her head and said:

“When we were very young, my father used to take us to see the most important play of the year. For a week, we were a perfect family. Azula and I played dragons on the beach and my mother could even smile sincerely. But it never lasted long. When we got home, it all started again. And ... to this day, I am afraid to admit to myself that these are still some of my favorite memories. I like to remember the sand under my feet and my sister's laugh. I know, deep down, it was all a scam, but I need to allow myself to be happy".

He lowered his face her height and took Mai's chin in one hand so she could look him in the eye.

“And you need to allow yourself, too".

Mai did not smile or thank him. She just hugged him back and nodded softly against his neck. Zuko wrapped her with both arms, and together they waited for the sun to set.

**»**

**This is the saddest thing I have ever read in my life.**

_Thought so._

**You have no heart!**

_So I've heard._

_What part are you in?_

**Hmmmm**

**Beginning of the freshman year, I think.**

**He just turned fifteen.**

**Spirits, how does one boy suffer so much?**

_You're one to talk._

_Fair._

_Well, I hope things will get better for him, eventually._

**You hope?**

_Yeah. I've not finished yet._

**Really?**

**That means that we are reading together!**

_I suppose so._

**This is amazing!**

**I have so many theories. And now you can theorize with me.**

_You never get tired, huh?_

**Nope.**

**»**

It was ... Strangely comfortable, the ways they had adapted to each other. Zuko found comfort in Mai's unshakable calm, and she, in his uncontrollable emotions. They spent the evenings talking, in one way or another, and now, they naturally gravitated to each other, when they could.

That said, Zuko was in serious trouble.

Because, see, he was _pretty_ sure he was hopelessly in love with the manga girl. Which was absurd, because he didn't even know her name! And now it was too late to ask. Maybe she thought he heard her on the subway that first day, and Zuko had been acting like that, so it would be very strange to go back and ask now.

Of course, he could visit her at the flower shop. But he didn't know if they had that kind of intimacy yet. In fact, wasn't it polite to expect her to invite him first?

The other half of the problem is that he was equally in love with Mai. Which made a lot more sense, since they were friends, had a lot in common, and were getting closer each day. And, whenever they were together in the same place, Zuko felt so intoxicated by her presence that he was dizzy. As if Mai absorbed all his attention.

And he hated to feel that way because he detested all the people who deliberately hurt the feelings of others. And if Mai felt the same way about him, Zuko needed to be honest.

They were at her house, looking after Tom-Tom while Michi slept in the room and Ty Lee and Azula used the mirror in Mai's room to practice with a new makeup style for the girl's ballet performance next weekend.

Tom-Tom was a much more behaved child than Kiyi, that was for sure. He just needed a toy to be completely distracted, so they were left with the kitchen, where they were standing waiting for the coffee machine to complete their drinks.

“And here I thought you couldn't be more dramatic".

“I wasn't dramatic!" he defended himself, dramatically. “Nobody told me it wasn't a dress up halloween party".

“It was your father's business party ... What did you expect?".

“From him? Nothing, actually".

They stared at each other for a moment, in silence, and then Mai broke out in a quiet laugh, followed by him.

“Still. The Blue Spirit?".

“What's the problem?".

“It's a children's cartoon";

“It's a comic book! A classic one!".

“Uhum. If you say so..."

“Azula! Come here to help defend me!"

From the other side of the door came her muffled voice:

“ _Deal with your own problems, Zuzu"._

“I'll show Mai your photo crying when you read that Rangi almost broke up with Kyoshi".

A bang, a loud laugh from inside, and then:

“The blue spirit is actually an incredible animation with several important messages, Mai, you need to understand that-".

( It was at night and they were watching one of her favorite movies, some 80s slasher with lots of violence and girls screaming, while Tom-Tom slept in the room and Ty Lee petted the family cat, with Azula beside her laughing all over everytime a character died.

Mai was leaning against him, paying attention as much as possible, but all Zuko could think about was how close she was, how natural the warmth of her skin against his felt, how used and accustomed to the smell of her perfume he was.

During one of the quietest moments in the film, with a high-pitched violin playing in the background while the protagonist took fearful steps towards the closed closet, Mai turned to face him, sighing, and Zuko gave her a small smile. They were so close to each other, their breaths mixing, almost listening to the sound of her heart, and all Zuko needed to do was ....

He heard his sister's low chuckle, who watched them with intent eyes and a smug smile, with Ty Lee nestled on her shoulder, and Zuko reached for the small table behind the sofa, taking the water spray bottle from the cat and spraying her, who shrieked.

Mai, half lost in the middle of it all, looked at him suspiciously, and Zuko passed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

Her look seemed to say _next time, then_ , but he no longer knew if he had the heart to wait).

**»**

**You know about flowers.**

_... I sure hope so?_

**What are the most romantic ones?**

**Like, one that says “I really like your company**

**And I'm happy that you're with me”?**

_Zuko, that way it is easier to record your voice by placing a clip attached to the stem._

**Please.**

_Um, let me see._

_Well, red roses are the obvious option._

**No, it's too cliché.**

_You can't help but be cliché with flowers._

**I can try.**

_Technically, I'm the one trying._

_Fine. Lilies, then. They are romantic, and symbolize soul mates._

**I don't believe in soul mates.**

_Well, you figure it out, then._

**Sorry! Do go on.**

_You can mix the lilies with a bunch of daffodils._

_A set of daffodils means happiness._

_So you're happy because that person is your soul mate in this world._

**Wow.**

**I was kind of expecting that you would ignore me.**

_Zuko for the love of_

**»**

Ty Lee's birthday brought together almost everyone she knew, with the exception of the friends she had made traveling around the country, at the time she was participating in a circus (don't ask. Zuko couldn't explain), and as far as he could see, all the people _he_ knew too .

But while the party rumbled on the lower floors, with a lot of music and Suki's group pulling everyone to dance, on the third floor, where her room was, the rest of them were gathered together playing video games while Aang prepared something for everyone in the kitchen.

“Shouldn't you be taking care of your sister?"

“Do you think Azula needs someone to take care of her?"

“Normally not" Mai lowered her character in the tall grass, planting a bomb silently while the NPC hunting dogs sniffed around. “But considering how badly she embarassess herself at parties..."

“Fair" Zuko stuck a piece of pizza in his mouth “,but she has Ty Lee. It can't be that bad".

Aang came back from the kitchen with a portion of vegetarian sushi, accompanied by one of his best friends, a blind girl with whom Zuko had never quite been able to talk. She collapsed sitting on the couch between him and Mai without ceremony, burping loudly and stretching to put her feet on the coffee table. Aang took a seat on the upholstery arm, and Katara propped an elbow on her boyfriend's lap, leaning over to steal one of the appetizers.

On the screen, one of the enemies found the character Mai was controlling and killed her with a brutal blow, described perfectly by the audiovisual aid reader and Toph laughed while Aang closed his eyes and Katara comforted him.

Mai grunted, frustrated, and placed the remote on the couch. Zuko asked if she wanted to get some air.

They went to the balcony. The lights shining down on the streets reminded him of that first night, going from one side of the city to the other, getting lost in subways and arcades, and Zuko couldn't believe it had been that long.

Mai leaned against the wall and he joined her, the wind brushing his hair from where it was sloppily tied in a ponytail.

She seemed to read the situation as easily as he did. And, in fact, it was a little difficult not to. So when Mai turned to him, resting a hand on his arm, and Zuko felt an electric current running up his spine, his breath accelerating with anticipation and happiness, he knew what was going to happen.

Which is why he was forced to step back and wrinkle his face. The hurt expression on Mai's face hurt him more than he could describe.

“Sorry. I ... I thought that -".

“No, you're right" he was quick to reassure her. Or, at least try. It didn't seem to have much effect. “I ... I want this. More than anything. But I need to be honest with you".

“... honest?".

“There 's another girl “Zuko sighed “and it is .... is stupid on my part, but I'm quite fond of her. And of you you. And I don't know what to do".

Mai waited for him to continue, in silence, but she also walked away, hugging her own body. Zuko swallowed, taking courage.

“She works at the mall, in Shibuya, at the flower shop, and since we met I can't stop thinking about her, which is ridiculous, because I don't even know her face! I can only remember a blur, but every time we talk, I feel like ... As if we were right for each other, you know? And I can't stop thinking about you, too. And I have no right to ask you -".

Mai's expression closed like the sky before a storm, and Zuko stopped talking immediately, hesitantly. Her eyebrows sunk so low that he could barely see those golden eyes he liked so much.

“... Mai?".

“Zuko" she called, in that same harsh voice from the first time.

And very slowly, she raised her hands to remove the glasses from his face. Zuko allowed, watching, dumbfounded, while she folded the frame and left it hanging on the collar of her shirt, frustrated. Mai came a little closer, taking Zuko's face in her hands, the fabric of her fingerless gloves rubbing against his skin.

“Does this blur look familiar to you?".

She must have noticed, for sure, the exact moment when his expression went from confusion to understanding, his ear turning red, his mouth open stupidly, because he laughed, incredulous, and then, in a small, soft, _timid_ voice, asked :

“Can I kiss you?".

Zuko pulled her around the waist and, finally, allowed himself to let go of his worries. Their smiles crashed at first, but when the kiss fell into place and they sank into it, the city lights and the noise of the party were gone from his mind.

There was only Mai. Mai, her kiss, and him. And Zuko couldn't ask for anything better.

**»**

“Are you ... crying?".

“No!".

“Are you _almost_ crying?".

“.... Maybe".

Mai laughed, shaking her head, and snuggled a little better against him, playing the video again, letting the music fill the room, immersed in the scent of flowers, lilies and daffodils, that she had placed in a vase right next to the TV. His jacket was still hanging on the wardobre handler, but now it was no longer the only one, shirts and sweatshirts and other coats lost in her closet, the _shogi_ board resting on the table where she had been teaching him to play.

“If I knew that all I needed was to put on a shoujo for you to watch....".

“I'm not crying!" Zuko protested, bringing her a little closer, kissing the top of his girlfriend's head.

"Of course not," she agreed, wrapping the drawstring of his sweetshirt's hood cord her index finger. “I must be imagining things".

“You are a horrible person, have you been told that?".

She lifted her face, stretching her neck a little to seal their lips in a quick peck, and smiled at the completely lost state with which Zuko closed his eyes just to return the kiss.

“A few times, if I recall. And, don't worry. I know you only cry when you get lost on the subway line".

He grunted, throwing his head back and banging it agaisnt the headboard, which brought out another irritated growl out of him, while Mai hid her face in his chest so as not to laugh openly.

_“Maaaaaaai!"._

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the game Mai was playing was The Last of Us Part 2.   
> So a few things to consider:  
> 1\. I’ve never actually been to Tokyo, but I didn’t want to erase their asian background and make this an american AU, so I tried to research as much as I could to write this story. As a matter of fact I know I’ve made some mistakes, and I apologize in advance, so feel free to point them out if you want and I’ll fix them.  
> 2\. The only reason I wrote this was because I’ve made a twitter account for the first time since I was a teenager and now everytime someone posts about them I remeber how absolutely smitten with this ship I was. I love them so much! But they probably came out as a bit OOC, and I’m sorry. It’s just hard to remeber so many details about their personalities.  
> 3\. I’m sorry for the lack of Toph Beifong. Truly unforgivable.  
> Well, with that said, I hope the reading was enjoyable, and, if you feel like it, please leave a coment! Thank you.
> 
> (The little trick with telling smalll chuncks of the story between parenthesis was taken from one of my favourite fanfics, called The Everthere. It's insanely good, so if you like korrasami, please read that too
> 
> LASTLY, mai's user name (ribbons&knives) was taken from a brazillian fanficion called "fitas e facas" [that, but in portuguese], it's a maiko little childhood snippet, so, if you have the patience, i'd recomend checking it out. you can find it on a site called nyah fanfiction).


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